3 Reasons You Need to Try Black and Brown Liner

Black and dark brown might make for a dreary fall outfit, but it's the best possible combination for bigger, brighter eyes. This week, I watched two makeup artists strategically use black and brown liners together for glamorous, old-Hollywood results. Here's why you should store them both in your makeup bag:

They add drama, but not too much:

Makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen layered brown and black liner at a recent Allure cover shoot. "Black on black is too harsh, but black on brown is softer," she says. She used this technique on both the lash line and the crease for a dramatic, but not off-putting, eye.

They make your eyes look bigger:

At the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday, makeup artist Tom Pecheux used black liner and mascara on the top lashes and brown liner and mascara on the bottom lashes (all four products are available through VS Cosmetics). "Black lifts the eyes on the top, but on the bottom, it can drag them down," he says. "By putting brown on the bottom you still look made up, but in a pleasant, sensual way."

They're buildable:

When it came time to change the look at the Allure shoot, Reiss-Andersen was able to do it in less than 20 minutes thanks to her trusted base of Lancôme brown liner. You can always layer black on top of brown, she said, which makes it perfect if you want to take your look from day to night in a hurry.